Profiles

Dr Alan Sanderson

Truro and Penwith College

Biography

Role

Qualifications

Dr Alan Sanderson is the Programme Leader of the BSc (Hons) Community, Social Enterprise and Management Degree at Truro and Penwith College. This innovative programme is validated by Plymouth University and reflects the contemporary demands of the third sector in a scenario where the welfare state continues to be "rolled back" by successive administrations.

From September 2007 to August 2013 Alan was Programme Leader of the Community Studies (Development and Youth Work) Foundation Degree at Truro and Penwith College and was also, from September 2011 to August 2013, Programme Leader for the Counselling Studies Foundation Degree. Previously he was an Associate Lecturer at Plymouth University in Public Services and Community Work from 2002 to 2007. Moreover, from September 2009 until June 2011, he delivered a series of lectures to the third year Combined Social Science Students at Cornwall College on the theme of Public Administration and the dynamics of Community and acted as a Dissertation Supervisor.

Alan has wide experience in the effective leadership, management and administration of the Private, Public and Voluntary Sectors gained from a career spanning forty-two years.

After a successful career in the Finanacial Services Sector, where he held several managerial posts with large institutions before directing his own business, he re-entered full-time education in 1997 with the intention of exploring the possibility of becoming an academic. To this end he taught at Plymouth University from 2002 to 2007 contributing to the delivery of Social Policy, Community Work and Public Service Programmes.

Alan completed his doctorate entitled "Managing Community: A Philosophical Analysis of Praxis" in October 2007. This work has already resulted in several publications including the co-authorship of two books, "The Situational Logic of Social Actions," published by Nova in February 2009 and "Reading a Relational Situation," published by Nova in May 2009.

Alan is an experienced social researcher having formulated and implemented research programmes for both educational and community orientated projects. His current project is formulated as a partnership initiative between Universities and Truro and Penwith College and concerns the values, attitudes and opinions held by those who embrace and implement the concept of volunteering in Cornwall.

Professional membership

Member of the Chartered Management Institute

Member of the Institute of Learning

Member of the Social Policy Association

Member of the Federation of Communitry Development Learning

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts

Roles on external bodies

Chair of Carers' Rights

Treasurer of Restormel Mind

Trustee of Pentreath Ltd

Teaching

Teaching interests

The development of Peer Support Mechanisms in relation to Research Projects

Philosophical pre-dispositions of Students resultant from the Commodification of Education

Staff serving as external examiners

External Examiner to New College Durham (Youth and Community Work Foundation Degree)

With Dixon, J. and Tripathi, S. "Governance and the Public Interest: The Challenges for Public Sector Leaders," in Public Governance and Leadership (eds. Koch, R. and Dixon, J.) Wiesbaden: Deutscher Universitats-Verlag.

2006

With Dixon, J. and Tripathi, S. "Ethics, Trust and the Public Interest: The Contending Models of Social Governance," In Governance of the State (eds. Kakabadse, N.K. and Kakabadse, A.) London: Palgrave.

"The Appropriate Role of the State within the Ethical Paradigm," in Proceedings of the University of Plymouth Business School and School of Sociology, Politics and Law, (eds. Barton, A. and Lean, J.) Plymouth University.

With Dixon, J. and Dogan, R. "Community and Communitarianism: A Philosophical Investigation," Community Development Journal, 40 (1): 4-16.

With Dixon, J. and Tripathi, S. "Managing in a Paradoxical Public Sector Environment: The Leadership Challenge of Ambiguity," in Proceedings of 2005 EFMD Conference on Public Sector Management and Radical Change (CD Rom), Brussels: European Foundation for Management Development.

With Dixon, J. and Tripathi, S. "Improving Public Sector Leadership: Philosophical Dispositions and Situational Leadership," in Proceedings of 2004 EFMD Conference on Public Sector Management Development (CD Rom), Brussels: European Foundation for Management Development.